There is disclosed a microphone and a microphone capsule including the microphone. The microphone includes a diaphragm having a perimeter shaped as a polygon with an odd number of sides.

A manufacturing method for a MEMS element, by which both a microphone including a microphone capacitor and a pressure sensor including a measuring capacitor are implemented in the MEMS structure. The components of the microphone and pressure sensor are formed in parallel but independently in the layers of the MEMS structure. The pressure sensor diaphragm is structured from a first layer, which functions as a base layer for the microphone diaphragm. The fixed counter-electrode of the measuring capacitor is structured from an electrically conductive second layer which functions as a diaphragm layer of the microphone. The fixed pressure sensor counter-element is structured from third and fourth layers. The third layer functions in the area of the microphone structure as a sacrificial layer, the thickness of which in the area of the microphone structure determines the electrode distance of the microphone capacitor. The microphone counter-element is structured from the fourth layer.

A manufacturing method for a MEMS element, by which both a microphone including a microphone capacitor and a pressure sensor including a measuring capacitor are implemented in the MEMS structure. The components of the microphone and pressure sensor are formed in parallel but independently in the layers of the MEMS structure. The pressure sensor diaphragm is structured from a first layer, which functions as a base layer for the microphone diaphragm. The fixed counter-electrode of the measuring capacitor is structured from an electrically conductive second layer which functions as a diaphragm layer of the microphone. The fixed pressure sensor counter-element is structured from third and fourth layers. The third layer functions in the area of the microphone structure as a sacrificial layer, the thickness of which in the area of the microphone structure determines the electrode distance of the microphone capacitor. The microphone counter-element is structured from the fourth layer.

A condenser microphone unit is provided that can flatten a frequency response in a high frequency band. The condenser microphone unit includes a unit case having an acoustic-wave entering hole, and a diaphragm accommodated in the unit case. The diaphragm is configured to vibrate in response to acoustic waves from the acoustic-wave entering hole. In the condenser microphone unit, an acoustic resistor is disposed between the acoustic-wave entering hole and the diaphragm. The acoustic resistor includes two elastic members in pressure contact with each other. At least one of the two elastic members is curved in a convex shape before contacting the other of the two elastic members by the pressure contact. A convex surface of one of the two elastic members is a surface that comes in pressure contact with the other elastic member.

A condenser microphone unit is provided that can flatten a frequency response in a high frequency band. The condenser microphone unit includes a unit case having an acoustic-wave entering hole, and a diaphragm accommodated in the unit case. The diaphragm is configured to vibrate in response to acoustic waves from the acoustic-wave entering hole. In the condenser microphone unit, an acoustic resistor is disposed between the acoustic-wave entering hole and the diaphragm. The acoustic resistor includes two elastic members in pressure contact with each other. At least one of the two elastic members is curved in a convex shape before contacting the other of the two elastic members by the pressure contact. A convex surface of one of the two elastic members is a surface that comes in pressure contact with the other elastic member.

An acoustic transducer includes a base plate, a vibrating membrane and a back plate. The vibrating membrane covers an opening of the base plate and has a plurality of conjoint vibratile portions. The acoustic transducer further has a connecting portion that is connected to a boundary between each two of the adjacent vibratile portions so as to allow the vibratile portions to generate vibration independently. The vibratile portions are geometrically different. Thereby, the vibratile portions can vibrate independently. This allows a designer to easily enhance the dynamic range of the acoustic transducer by geometrically modifying the vibrating membrane without increasing the total area of the vibrating membrane while maintaining a certain good degree of sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio.

A high-ohmic circuit includes a plurality of high-ohmic branches coupled in parallel between a first node and a second node. Each of the plurality of high-ohmic branches includes a first plurality of series connected resistive elements forming a first series path from the first node to the second node, each of the first plurality of series connected resistive elements comprising a first diode-connected transistor. Each of the plurality of high-ohmic branches further includes a second plurality of series connected resistive elements forming a second series path from the first node to the second node, each of the second plurality of series connected resistive elements comprising a second diode-connected transistor. The high-ohmic circuit further includes a plurality of switches, each of the switches being coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of high-ohmic branches and the second node.

A high-ohmic circuit includes a plurality of high-ohmic branches coupled in parallel between a first node and a second node. Each of the plurality of high-ohmic branches includes a first plurality of series connected resistive elements forming a first series path from the first node to the second node, each of the first plurality of series connected resistive elements comprising a first diode-connected transistor. Each of the plurality of high-ohmic branches further includes a second plurality of series connected resistive elements forming a second series path from the first node to the second node, each of the second plurality of series connected resistive elements comprising a second diode-connected transistor. The high-ohmic circuit further includes a plurality of switches, each of the switches being coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of high-ohmic branches and the second node.

An integrated optical transducer for measuring displacement of a diaphragm comprises the diaphragm, a lens element and a substrate body having a waveguide structure and a coupling element. The diaphragm is arranged distant from the substrate body and substantially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate body. The waveguide structure is configured to guide light from a light source to the coupling element and from the coupling element to a photodetector . The coupling element is configured to couple at least part of the light in the waveguide structure onto a light path between the coupling element and the diaphragm and to couple light reflected by a surface of the diaphragm from the light path into the waveguide structure. The lens element is arranged on the light path such that light on the light path passes through the lens element.

An integrated optical transducer for measuring displacement of a diaphragm comprises the diaphragm, a lens element and a substrate body having a waveguide structure and a coupling element. The diaphragm is arranged distant from the substrate body and substantially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate body. The waveguide structure is configured to guide light from a light source to the coupling element and from the coupling element to a photodetector . The coupling element is configured to couple at least part of the light in the waveguide structure onto a light path between the coupling element and the diaphragm and to couple light reflected by a surface of the diaphragm from the light path into the waveguide structure. The lens element is arranged on the light path such that light on the light path passes through the lens element.